Thursday Thoughts

 

Will the snow melt or is it here for good?

*

I wonder if Ralph will call me to play duplicate bridge tonight?

*

I sure hope my knee doesn't prevent me from playing hockey.

*

One date square left - have to save that for Gerry!

*

How will I get to town tomorrow?

*

Don't have to cook tonight, enough left over from last night's spicy mac & beef.

*

There's a town called Mermaid's Cove in Australia, wouldn't it be a magical place to live?

*

Only one month and 10 days till Christmas...will I have all my gifts made as planned in time?

*

(I really don't like Christmas time)

*
The power has been out for an hour and a half and now I have no more Thursday thoughts
*
A cup of tea would hit the spot right now
Anise tea.
*
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehn, goodbye

(Picture credit here)
 



When life gives you a box of sour mandarin oranges......

 

 

Make sweet mandarin orange jam!

 

Yummy


At Ian's request, the recipe is:

8 mandarin oranges
1 kg white sugar
2 cups water

Clean outside of mandarins, peel, reserving skin of 4 of them.  Put it all through a food processor, place in large pan, add sugar and water.  Mixture should not be more than 5 cm (2 ") deep in pan. 

Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolved, increase heat slightly, boil gently, uncovered, for 50 - 55 minutes.  Check during last 10 mintues to ensure mixture is not burning at bottom of pan. 

After 50 minutes start testing to see if jam will gel on a cold saucer.  (place saucer in freezer for a few minutes, but remove pot from heat during testing).
When done remove foam from surface, pour into hot sterilized jars.

Process in hot water canner for 5 minutes (I did 10 minutes to compensate for our altitude of over 3000 feet).

Makes 5 of the little skinny jam jars.

This is supposed to be a jam, but because of the peel in it, it seems more like a sweet marmalade to me, but the recipe does say jam.

One girl's opinion

With what seems like the whole world focused on the US presidential election for the last few weeks,

the topic of American football should fit right in.

 

Americans.   Love.   Football.   Period.

 

I get it.  Well, I don't get the love of football, but I do get a country's love of sport.

Canadians love hockey.

 

We do have some kids football teams in the big city, but we don't have near the emphasis on it that our south of the border friends do.  I mean having a high school stadium?? We're lucky if we have a couple of soccer goalposts in need of paint and a baseball backstop

 and bit of green grass showing on the brown.

And the parents, most of them, of the soccer, rugby and basketball players do turn out to watch a game.  Hockey is a little different, everyone likes to watch a good hockey game and when my son played in the Northern Winter Games in 2006, the arena was standing room only.

 

Anyhow, this isn't about high school football,

but about a 9-year-old girl playing on her big brother's football team, amongst older kids. 

 

She's good.

She's fast.

She's tough.

 

 

And as much as I agree that women can be involved in any sport

I'm just not sure about this one.

The article said she's 60 pounds and the heaviest kid is 150 pounds. 

That's a hell of a weight difference.

 

The problem, as I see it

Is not necesarily a girl playing on a guys team

We have girls mixed in the the guys in our house league hockey teams

and even the odd one on the rep teams.

 

I think that they miss out on the "locker room camaraderie"

But they love to play.

Therein lies the hitch

 

This little girl evidently loves football.

Nothing wrong with that.

But how far will she be able to go?

Do they have ladies football in the States?

For all I know, they do in which case this is a moot point.

But in a few years, she'll end up with no where to expend her energy and talent.

And that's the shame of it.

 

Sure, she may get hurt playing with the boys

Any contact sport can hurt people

But 9 and 10 year olds can still be quite similar

when it comes to holding their own and the quicker ones can outrun the heftier ones.

A slight boy would be the same situation as a 60 pound girl

for now.

 

In a few years, those boys and girls will be growing into teenagers

where will she be then?

She may still be one tough girl

and able to outrun most of the guys

And if she still plays

Good for her.

 

I am just unsure about this whole issue.

Maybe, if she has leadership qualities, she may want to start

a ladies football league.

Or maybe she'll lose interest

 

Anyhow, I just wanted to sort this one out through my head and onto (paper)

But I am still as undecided as I was before.

 



just a reminder......

Did those of us who needed reminding to remember to not forget remember to change the clocks???   Or did we forget that we were reminded to remember? 

Ghosts of Halloweens past

1974

 

 

 

1977

 

1993

 

 

1995

 

1996

 

1997

 

2002

 

 

 

2004

 

2006

 

Happy Halloween to all those who still have the kids, or the enthusiasm, to celebrate!



Hands across the World

 

 

In my work as a "work from home medical transcriptionist"

(although we are now called "health documentation specialists" - more politically correct?")

I work for a transcription company in Australia.

 

This company has hundreds of transcriptionists all over the world,

separated into groups, or "families" depending on the facility we transcribe for.

My group is called "Powerful Paeds" as we transcribe for a children's hospital.

 

Anyway, through a wayward comment last week

someone mentioned where they live, someone else mentioned where they live,

and so on and so on.

I thought it would be neat to make a map and post everyone's locations

so I requested everyone to share their locations.

 

This is how it turned out.

 

Now, what I would like to do is add my blog friends to it,

maybe with pink strips of paper or something to differentiate y'all from my coworkers.

 

It's amazing how small the world has become.

I remember when I got my first computer and actually corresponded with someone from another country in a chat room.

It was so exciting

Now, its a way of life

 

I am reading a book right now where the main character in England writes a letter to someone in Australia, and mentions that by the time it gets there a month will have gone by

and the news will no longer be news, or even truth.

 

There are an awful lot of things that I think were better

"in the olden days"

But communication is not one of them.

 

 (picture credits here and here)



Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!

I did not get sick

Hockey went great

We even won

We named our team the "Grey Goose" (don't ask!)
 

I wasn't stiff the day after but today my legs feel like I was riding a horse

At the beginning of the second period I thought I could easily lay down on the ice

 and die of exhaustion
 

I had some spectacular falls...thank God for all that padding
(and I don't only mean the gear)

and why can't I stop quickly enough without crashing into the boards anyways?

Looking forward to next time.

 

 

The turkey went off without a hitch

and now I have a fridge full of cold turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, carrots and brussel sprouts

Not to mention the apple pie that didn't get touched because everyone wanted the pumpkin pie

 I may have to eat those left overs and work doubly hard next week on the ice!!

 

 

(both of these pics are actually from last year, but you get the drift)



No, no, no, no, no!

 

I cannot get sick right now

 

I will not get sick right now

 

Positive affirmations

 

 

My throat has had this nagging feeling

and my ears are begging me to insert a sharp instrument and scratch

 

I cannot get sick

 

I am alternating between drinking hot echinecia  echinacea tea with honey

sucking on Vitamin C tablets

and popping Halls

 

I cannot get sick.

I simply won't allow it.

Body, if at any time you were going to listen to me,

Listen to me now.

 

Hockey starts tomorrow night

and I need to cook a turkey dinner on Tuesday

 

I cannot, and will not, get sick!!!!

 

 



Harvest Gold

 

What images does the term "harvest gold" conjure? 

 

Most likely something like this:

 

Or this:

 

 

"The family that drinks together stays together??"

What were they thinking?

 

Anyways, the harvest gold that I have in mind

is much more pleasing to the senses:

 

 

 

Few can resist the Autumn.
And...
This season with changes upon them.
Few can resist,
The picturesqueness...
Of the Autumn.

With the color of the leaves turning bright,
To their delight.
Red and yellow with orange in sight.
From Sunrise until twilight.

Few can resist the Autumn,
When...
Autumn falls.
And...
Few can resist the Autumn,
When...
Autumn calls.

Few can resist the Autumn.
Hoping that Summer stalls.
Few can resist the Autumn.

Winter, Spring, Summer and again the Fall.
Few can resist,
The picturesqueness...
None at all.

modified from a verse by Lawrence S. Pertillar

 

 



Playing with Headers

 

It only took me an hour and a half to create this header

 

You like???

Friday-My Day

 

Friday, the day I look forward to all week

It's been a heck of a week

Fraught with emotion, frustration and torn up self worth

Today I can put a closing lock on it.

Today is Friday - My day

 

Today is my sons' birthdays

Happy Birthday to the both of you

Wish you were here

Tomorrow I'll try to do a tribute post

Today is  Friday - My day

 

I work for a couple of hours

Just a token appearance really

Tomorrow is my one day off

the day my computer does't get turned on unless necessary

But today is Friday - My day.

 

Card playing day

First bridge with all the old fogies at the seniors centre

I am not a senior but they let me play with them - the more the merrier

and bridge players seem to be a dying breed

I fell in love with the game and will play with anyone, anywhere, anytime.

If you play bridge, you know,

If you don't, you don't.

 

Then a few hours on my own in town, walking around and running little errands

That part can get sketchy for me

because today is Friday - My day

 

Then head over to my friend Fran's

and organise for the night's game

either at her house, or Jackie's house, or Ralph's house or my house

and have an evening of letting go

playing cards and dominoes

With friends like these, I don't need enemies

Because the insults fly good naturedly through the room

The ribbing and teasing

and the laughing till we cry

We can all let loose, let our hair hang down, be totally us.

 

Everyone should have days like these.....

Fridays...

My days.

Who am I?

Picture if you will.......

It's been a gorgeous September, around 25C every day

warm enough for shorts and even tanktops

 

Today is Wednesday, half day of work for me

and newspaper day in our small town

 

So, after work, I take Monty and make the 45 minute walk to the mailbox and the store and back

looking for my e-bay order (still not there...sigh....)

and to pick up the paper along with my weekly bottle of Fresca

 



By the time I get home I've built up a sweat

Down the sunny dirt road and up the driveway

(note to self:  If  I ever move, make sure the driveway slopes down from the road

so that when I walk, I can return downhill)

 

Anyways, thought I'd sit at the table outside in the shade and read the paper and drink my Fresca

Now, this canvas backed chair is probably into its 3rd or 4th season

the last left of a set of four

and I knew better.
 

Really, I did.
 

But, the more sturdier chairs were scattered at various spots in the yard

And I was too hot to go and drag one over.

 

Last year, my son sat in one of these and fell through,

then did the same thing again the next day.

it was quite funny when it happened to him

 

But I was a victim of "It won't happen to me" syndrome.

 

I was onto the 3rd page of the paper

heard that canvas rip

and down into the chair I went

With a mighty "Oh shit"

Mighty enough for my Gerry to look out the window

 

"I'm gonna need help!" I called
What do you want me to do?" he asks
Which is not as inappropriate as it sounds,

as my husband had an "oh shit" of his own 5 weeks ago

And has had his leg bound up in a bright blue cast since then
In fact, we are a family of  "oh shits"
because my son is also sporting a bright blue cast,
but on his arm.

 

So, out he hobbles on his crutches

Thank god he's not into cameras because truth be told

had the situation been reversed the first thing I would have grabbed was my camera

 

"Just tip me sideways......gently"

Onto my side I thunked

I was wedged in there so tight that even as I lay on my side

It was not as easy to slide out as I thought

Particularly since I was laughing through the pain

And Monty thought it was the most interesting game to play

And Gerry stood there shaking his head

 

I did get out

brushed myself off

gathered my paper, the mail, and what remained of the Fresca and my dignity

and went inside to finish off safely on the couch.

 

The question remained though
That Gerry posed to me...

"What would you have done if I'd have been at work?"

 

Well,

I did have my cell phone in my pocket

Though that would be one heck of an embarrassing 911 call!!

 





On Autumn

 

 

photo credit here

 



Let's face it...no one wants summer to end.  Ever.

The beginning of fall gets a bum rap at this time of year.

 

But once we've resigned ourselves to the fact that

the cool nights

the dewy grass

the foggy mornings

really are here, and that it was not just a blip in summer's radar screen

fall really is a magnificent time of year.

 

As I read in a magazine yesterday,

it's when the new year starts for many of us,

more so than on January 1.

The summer hiatus has come to an end.

 

Labour day long weeked marks the beginning

Back to school shopping is complete

Tuesday morning the school busses will rumble out of their garages. 

Summer whites and sandals are beginning to be packed up

Jeans and jackets are appearing

People wearing shorts suddenly begin to look a little out of place.

 

This year marks the first year since we moved here and I began my adult life in 1989

that we have no kids going to school

First my husband's two daughters

Then our own two sons

All have graduated now

No more early morning wake up calls,

Lunches to make in the hopes that they don't end up in the garbage

or worse, left in the backpack for the week

and homework struggles....I will NOT miss those!

 

We have one tree in our yard that always seems a little ahead of schedule

the first to show buds in the spring

and the first to yellow in the fall

the first to bare its branches in preparation for the snow.

 

The hummingbird feeder hangs deserted

Time to give it a wash and put it away

somewhere where I will be able to find it next spring.

 

Time to put away the sunscreen and mosquito spray

air out the hockey gear, get those skates sharpened and ready to go

Hopefully I can play again this year

That depends on a few things

 

The wood stove wakes up from its summer hibernation

the floor fans are put away.

 

Bare feet and toenail polish

are no longer the order of the day

and we can skip the leg shaves if we want.

Tan lines are beginning to fade.

 

Fall is beautiful here

I imagine it is in most places

And I am ready to embrace it

And give credit where credit is due.

Lesson for the Week

What did I learn this week?

Amongst other things, I learned that if you are going to patch up a hole in the drywall, and you need to cut it square, therefore making it bigger and closer to ground level, make sure you know where your cat is BEFORE you seal up the hole with new drywall.

Come to think of it, it doesn't really matter where the hole is, even if it's near the ceiling.

That night, we are just getting into bed

and hear the cat scratching

Had heard it earlier but thought she was scratching at the bathroom door while hubby was having a shower

So we call "Kezia...Kezia... here kitty, where are you?

Silence

Kezia....

Silence

Get into bed and the scratching starts again.

Sounds like its from under the floors

Oh oh....when's the last time you saw her?

A few hours ago.

Before or after you patched up that hole?

Ummmm.......

Out of bed, with the flashlight, crawl under the mobile, first one side, then the other

am just a wee bit concerned about mice and spiders and other things that go bump in the night

as I call her again.

Kezia....Kezia...are you there??

I hear calling from up above

"She's in here...in Trevor's room"

Seems that when I shut his door on the mess inside,

Kezia was in there, sleeping on the bed, or in the closet, or wherever cats go when they disappear for a few hours.

Probably chuckling to her little cat self as she hears us looking for her

 and figures, with that cattitude that all cats share,

which is why we love them so,

 "Let them come to me, I'm not getting up from this comfy cozy spot!"

 

Thankfully, the drywall did not need to be opened up again!

What's in a name?

gorgeous

~~~

my protector

~~~

handsome

~~~

boefje

~~~

my special boy

~~~

yo-yo

~~~

silly dog

~~~

beautiful

~~

my dog

~~~

my lad

~~~

big boy

~~~

MONTY

my best friend

"The average dog has one request to all humankind. Love me."

Helen Exley

on 1st cars and Jean Chretien

Some of us have a facial anomoly that only appears in photos caught at the right moment.

With me, there are some pictures where I look like I have a lazy eye,

Ever since I was fairly small

Even though in reality I don't

This used to be our prime minister, Jean Chretien.

Just for background history

He had a stroke that affected half his face.

Why am I telling you this?

This is my son when he was maybe 10 or so

It's the first time we noticed it,

but it has come up again in various images

His "Jean Chretien Grin"

Even one of his grad pictures shows it

I have posted pictures of him on here before,

and normally his face is balanced the way it should be

This post was originally supposed to be about a difficult teenager

and how in even this sullen, usually miserable kid

Sometimes that joyous, face-lighting smile that we know is in there somewhere

comes out like a flash of sun from behind the thunderclouds

There, and gone again.

He finally got his first car...

A 2002 Dodge Neon

Nice-looking car.

Well, when he came driving home

The light was shining in his face

He left again right away

Practicing learning how to drive a standard

(Oh the memories of that!!!

I still remember stopped at a stop sign on a steep hill

with a car behind me...I bet there's still rubber on that road!)

So I grabbed my camera and hoped for an instant replay.

I thought I got it.

But when I opened up the picture on my computer

There was Jean Chretien looking back at me, through Trevor's eyes.

Summer Senses

smelling freshly cut grass

~~~

hearing hammers pounding in the neighbours' yards

and crickets clicking their wings

~~~

tasting the coolness of strawberry bananas smoothies, cherries and watermelon

~~~

feeling the cool ground under my barefeet

~~~

seeing the vividness of the blue sky above the green trees

~~~

what do your senses sense?

Luxury on top of the world

Contrary to what seems to be popular belief

accoording to the comment converstaion on my last post

I have not been on a two-week holiday

Neither from my computer nor from my home

Just from the blog

However, we did just have a three-day holiday

In a luxury suite

Up on SilverStar Mountain

This is the fourth year in a row we've been there

The guys do their biking

and I play tourist

This picture is from last year

This is as good as it got this year

When you go every year, you tend to not want to take the same pictures over and over

I, however, conquered my fear and managed to ride the bike lift to the top of the mountain

Absolutely stunning!!!

Just a thought for the day

This was sent to me once by my grandmother in Holland.

Flowers of love to everybody for the coming week.



Miss me but let me go

An elderly friend of mine died last week.

Yet another casualty of the nasty cancer.

Two months ago she said that she was going to the oncologist

I said I hope it's not going to be bad news

She said "At my age, what's bad news?"

She was 84.

She considered it good news that she was going to go fast

And was not afraid, but almost, as the minister said,

Looking at it with anticipation of the glory beyond.

To have such faith must be so comforting.

He shared a story

A few weeks ago, her husband had trapped a squirrel that was threatening to be a nuisance

Together they brought it to the woods in the park behind our town

The squirrel was running around in frantic circles in his cage

And when they opened the door,

He bounded off across the woods and away, free again, as he was meant to be.

She said to her husband,

That's what I'll be doing in a few weeks,

bounding along free as that squirrel.

When you see squirrels, think of me.

Love me, miss me, but let me be free.

She was and is an inspiration to us all and the world is a better place because of her.

Come take a walk with me and my dog

This is "The Butte"

The left over plug of an ancient volcano

and the namesake of my town

This picture was taken at Christmas time, with a distinct lack of snow

and yet, we ended up with more snow this year than we've had in years

Anyhow, the picture is just to lay the groundwork and give some perspective

Most days I take my dog for a walk, sometimes through the bush, sometimes on the paths along the road.  Today was a bush day to the old cemetary ,a favourite place to sit and reflect.

I usually stop there because after that it's mostly uphill

Today I decided to keep going and after much huffing and puffing, found myself at the end of the path and the beginning of the rock climb up the Butte

I must add, this is not a place I thought I'd ever make it to again

It's one heck of a steep climb,

the kind where you take five or six steps, then have to stop and turn around to catch your breath.

My cousin Dagmar (who seems to have temporarily disappeared from the blogosphere)

could tell you a great story about being on this path with a bear below her and the rock above,

and having to climb up and stay on top until she figured the bear was gone.

And how if her dad ever found out, he'd never let her come to Canada again!

I didn't climb up the rock itself because Monty would not be impressed about being left behind.

Anyhow, we made it safely up and down

On the way back home Monty remembered a spot where he once caught a mouse a few years ago

every time we pass it he checks it out, to make sure there's no more there.

Over a fence

While Monty trustingly

waited for me to lift the bottom so he could crawl underneath

Along the path to the marker where we turn off along our own property

25 steps back to retrieve the leash that fell out of my pocket along the way

Along the home stretch

And break through the bush to the back of our home

Thanks for your company!!

PS....these were all taken with my cellphone....the wonder of it all!